17. Jim Gaffigan
Jim Gaffigan’s story is slightly different to some of the other athletes turned actors. He knew as a five-year old that he wanted to act, but his parents had other ideas for him. Caving to pressure, he would end up at Purdue College to play football, which is a major accomplishment over and above what he has done as an actor.
Jim Gaffigan
As the odds of playing professionally dwindled, he set his sights on the entertainment industry and got a chance to perform stand up for David Letterman’s popular late-night talk show. Letterman would later ask him to help write a sitcom, which never made it to air, but did give him the confidence to keep refining his craft. Multiple booked appearances later, he’s slowly becoming a household name.
18. Jason Segel
Marshall from ‘How I Met Your Mother’ is well known for his acting chops, but also, for his height. Having attended school in L.A, it’s no surprise that the 6’4 actor dabbled in sports, and it’s even less of a surprise that basketball resonated with him, especially as he was one of the tallest people in his class.
Jason Segel
Sharing the court with numerous future NBA stars, his passion for basketball continued right up until the end of college. Setting his sights on Hollywood, he gave up on a dream to play professionally, and these days he is well known for his roles in high earning romantic comedies like ‘Knocked Up’ and ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ (where he showed even more than just his height).
